Don’t Take a Breath in a Brainstorm

The best brainstorming doesn’t stop or wait for commentary or evaluation. It moves at a furious pace. 

The more ideas created in a brainstorm, the better. An expanded list of ideas increases the odds a great one will appear. Judging or commenting on ideas as they are shared puts a wrench in the gears of ideation. 

Powerful brainstorming poses a question and lets people run. No delay occurs before the next idea is offered. That’s what great brainstorming is all about. 

Leaders and teams brainstorm when they are confronted with a complex problem or opportunity and seek the best way to approach it. They gather team members and whatever subject-matter experts they trust and then ask this question: What ideas do you have?

Rapid-fire works best. Resist the temptation to stop brainstorming midway through the exercise and focus on the first few ideas generated. 

In a true brainstorm, no idea is considered bad, stupid, or ridiculous. The only way to get others to think outside of the box is to avoid any judgment about anything that gets said. A scribe simply captures every idea offered. As the list of ideas begins to slow down, leaders prod team members to dig deeper. 

The magic of brainstorming happens when one idea sparks another. Team members often expand and build upon earlier ideas no matter how crazy they may be. 

Once the list is complete, the leader can then work through the ideas one by one and discuss those that are worth exploring in further detail. Running with the best ideas is what this method is all about. 

Regrettably, leaders and teams don’t brainstorm nearly as often as they should. They miss the opportunity to get everyone involved in the creative process. Instead, they turn to experts to identify the best solutions or ideas. 

Maybe some leaders believe brainstorming to be hokey or that it produces a less serious start to an important problem. Or perhaps they don’t like the whimsical nature of the exercise. But they need to get over it. Brainstorming is an important piece of work.

Most problems and opportunities benefit greatly from an initial session of brainstorming. The exercise wipes away the creative cobwebs and quickly gets a flurry of ideas on the table. Better yet, most sessions can be conducted in less than 30 minutes. Creativity is contagious. Brainstorming will show you how.